Vintage Zoo Tiger Poster
Buy this print on Etsy →A striking piece of vintage advertising, this poster promotes the Aquarium and Zoologischer Garten (Zoological Garden) of early twentieth-century Germany. In the bold, flat, poster-art style of the day, a brilliant striped Moorish idol fish glides through teal water past a shoal of dark silhouetted fish, while below, the unforgettable face of a tiger stares out from a black roundel. Above and below, the huge words 'Aquarium' and 'Zoologischer Garten' anchor the design, with the old admission prices and event notices printed in warm ochre. It is a wonderful slice of a bygone day at the zoo.
The poster belongs to the great German tradition of the Sachplakat, or 'object poster' - a movement, centred on the famous Berlin printing house of Hollerbaum & Schmidt, that stripped advertising down to a bold image, a few flat colours and clear lettering. The result is astonishingly modern and graphic, even a century later. Details like the 'Grosses Militär-Doppel-Konzert' (grand military double concert) and prices in Marks capture the charm of a Sunday outing in the age before cinema and television, when the zoo and its aquarium were among the great popular attractions of the city.
What makes it so appealing is the confident simplicity: the graphic fish, the piercing tiger, the strong colour blocks. It reads instantly from across a room and radiates vintage character.
As wall art it is full of personality. The bold palette makes it a natural for a child's room or playroom, a kitchen, a study or a gallery wall, and it brings a cheerful, characterful note to any interior. It is a wonderful gift for animal and nature lovers, aquarium and fish enthusiasts, families and anyone drawn to vintage advertising and poster art, and it pairs beautifully with other zoo, animal and Sachplakat prints.
Because the original dates to the early twentieth century, it is now in the public domain, which is why we can reproduce it at full museum quality.
Each print is produced on premium 189 gsm museum-grade archival matte paper, faithfully capturing the bold flat colour, crisp lettering and warm vintage tones of the original poster - ready to frame and enjoy for years to come.
